


The Dead Sea

by BeforePeaceIsAStorm, PepperPrince



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Blood and Injury, Disaster Twins, Donnie has ADHD, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, Leo has Dyslexia, Not really historically accurate, Originally an RP, Platonic Cuddling, Platonically, Sharing a Bed, Slightly odd formatting, Someone Help Them, because ew, not tcest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:14:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27197000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeforePeaceIsAStorm/pseuds/BeforePeaceIsAStorm, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PepperPrince/pseuds/PepperPrince
Summary: Italy was supposed to be their fresh start—or, as fresh of a start as a group of pirates and assassins could get. Really, it was no wonder when things went wrong, but the brothers thought things would last a little longer at the very least. After all they'd been through, they'd gotten their hopes a little too high, and the twins were paying the price.---Leo wanted to say that he fought, that he kicked and thrashed; that he made an effort to live, but he would be lying. It would do nothing more than tire him out faster, kill him faster, and he wasn't ready to let go yet. It would do nothing more than tire him out faster, kill him faster, and he wasn't ready to let go yet. Internally, he apologized to Donnie, then to Raph and Mikey, and his dad and April. He was sorry for anything wrong he'd ever done, for leaving them. He knew he wasn't making it out, the chances of him getting out alive was very slim, and if Donnie tried to get him out he could end up dead too. Leo knew Donnie would die to try and save him, and he also knew that he would never be able to stand it.
Relationships: Leonardo (TMNT)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	The Dead Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! This is The Dead Sea, an AU by the two of us. Updates should be pretty regular until the end in chapter twelve. PLEASE pay attention to warnings, if you're sensitive to any of them please click out. We'll post in the notes if any new ones are added.
> 
> This was written as an RP originally, so that's why the formatting is a little weird, and why the viewpoint switches so much.
> 
> We have both a Twitter and a Tumblr, https://www.tumblr.com/blog/the-dead-sea and https://twitter.com/TheDeadSea7
> 
> Check those out for updates and important info, as well as if you want to learn more about us.
> 
> THIS IS NOT TCEST, AND NOT TO BE INTENDED AS SUCH.

Leo loved the sea like he loved his family, it was the home he had never really had. He lived for the taste of salt in the air, the spray of icy water against his face, the wind chasing through his hair and along his skin, leaving him more familiar with the cold than the warmth. He gripped the solid oak of the wheel a little tighter, feeling the slight tremble in her movements as the ship cut through the water like she was born to. He cast a glance to the side, scanning the ship gliding along just beside them, where he could see his brother Raph at the helm. They were closing in on the harbour fast. 

“Reel her in a little!” He called up to Donnie over the wind, watching him set down the spyglass he was peering through so he could turn and listen to Leo. This was their fresh start, the beautiful Italy, a new year to scatter the past behind them like waves. Now, they would only look ahead. 

They might not have planned to work on the same ship, let alone together, but Leo wasn’t worried about it ruining their closeness. Nothing would ever come between him and his family.

Donatello felt the wind blowing vicariously against his hood, doing its best to block his line of sight. He yanked it off from over his head and adjusted his glasses before leaping off the platform he stood on, sliding down the rope he gripped and realizing how lucky he was to have remembered to wear his gloves today. He swung expertly to the wooden beams, grabbing hold of his next rope and pulling the best he could as the sails shifted.

After tying them off he started his next leap, except this time getting a bit too cocky, the rope he jumped to grab going slack at the sudden weight untied the poor knot that kept it up above. A moment later Donnie crashed to the floorboards. 

He groaned. “Remind me to tighten the knots!” The boy rubbed his head as he sat up hazily.

Leo laughed airily, well used to his brother. “Well, go tighten the knots then. We’re almost there.” He adjusted his belt and ran his hand neatly along the scabbard in a comforting action. He was glad he still had his odachi, it was one of the few things they had taken from their old life. “We’ll let Raph and Mikey pull in first since their ship is bigger, then we’ll dock after them.” He explained absently, shooting a salute to Mikey when he waved from where he was clinging to the mast like a damn monkey.

Donnie scrambled up and pulled his hood back on, running to the bow. He stumbled and gripped the railing to keep from toppling over. Excitement filled him. He’d always wanted to travel here, along with the joy of being in a new area for the first time, able to leave everything else behind in favor of new memories. He smirked, adjusting the many straps across his torso as he squinted to get a sight of the shore, ignoring the task that he had just previously established he needed to do.

Leo tugged the vessel to the side a little, giving their brothers more room. Already he could see the bustling streets filled with carts and people going about their days as he slowed her down to a gentle crawl. The small city was lively and filled to the brim with activity that left him buzzing with excitement. His fingers twitched around the helm, itching to climb up to the rooftops and explore. He wanted to see what there was to see, talk to the people of the city, maybe even flirt with some ladies if he had the time.

Instead, he tightened his grip and watched as Raph expertly steered their ship into place, leaving Leo free space in a nearby spot. He pulled in smoothly, glancing around at the other ships. Theirs was pretty small, especially in comparison to many of the other ships, but she was fast as the wind she rode.

Donnie speedily made his way back to the cabin of the ship, digging around for his things. Strewn across the table was equipment for the newest project he was working on, foldable wooden wings with cloth that hasn’t yet been attached. He stuffed his pack full headed back out to assist with docking the ship.

Mikey watched from the other ship, waving eccentrically. They were all quite excited about the new area and he was practically bouncing off the deck whilst Raph had finished docking.

Leo laughed at his brother’s enthusiasm and went to let down the anchor on his own while Donnie made sure everything was secure, whistling the whole way. Normally, leaving someone with the ship would be a necessity so they weren’t commandeered, but Donnie had trapped the two vessels until there was no worry of theft. Leo shuddered when he was reminded of the tie when he’d spent two whole hours hanging from one of the masts while Donnie laughed at him. He dropped down onto the pier with a grin, and made his way to Raph and Mikey, only waiting long enough for Donnie to join him.

Donnie skid to a halt right next to Leo, already hyped up. He hadn't been this visibly happy in a while, maybe even ever. Considering their travel overseas, they hadn't exactly had much interaction with people lately. Not that it bothered Donnie to be alone, but part of him was already jumping at the thought of a new place, new inventors, new opportunities, and new targets. He had needed some action in his life again and this was their chance. He almost stumbled several times in the short walk, lost in thought.

Raph finished tying off the last few ropes before looking up at the two of them. "Hey, we finally made it!" He grinned wide, propping his hands up on his hips.

“Hell yeah, we did!” Leo high-fived Mikey, who was bouncing on his heels, then ruffled his sandy blonde hair. He looked over at their dad and April, chatting about something while they stood over a map. “Say, why don’t we take the first day to explore before looking for work. Please?” He asked Raph, turning on his best puppy-dog eyes. Generally, upon reaching a new city, they would look for work immediately, but Leo wanted to explore without the pressure of trying to find something. He wouldn’t turn down a job if they found one, of course, but he wanted more freedom to look around on their very first day.

Mikey turned to do the same, knowing Raph couldn’t resist  _ two _ of his younger brothers giving him that look. He really wanted to explore and see what the city had to offer, maybe find the best places to climb and get around. He wanted to see if he could make it up the tallest building in the city, very few could keep off.

Raph took a moment of thought before sighing, the smile not leaving his face though. "Okay, just be careful. New place, we don't want to stir up too much too fast." He was always wary of his brothers and their tendencies to run into the wrong people, but he trusted them. Such a big place, not as much of a chance to cause trouble right?

Donnie nodded, seemingly listening and actually taking into account what their big brother meant. He had never found much of an issue with bothering the wrong people, considering how little he communicates with strangers.

Leo laughed and spun on his heel, grabbing lightly at Donnie’s sleeve. “Let’s go, twin bro! We’re gonna have  _ so _ much fun!” He felt like his body was moving of its own accord, the excitement causing a light buzz and hum just beneath his skin as he practically skipped down the street. There was so much to see, so many people to meet. He caught a woman's eye and winked, reaching up to smooth down his soft hair. She blushed and glanced away, leaving him with a smirk. Beside him, Leo pretended not to see Donnie rolling his eyes.

Mikey grinned and turned to look at Raph, well used to the twins antics. He probably spent the most time with his oldest brother, although he did have a habit of following all of them around a lot. He didn’t want to leave Raph alone to explore, however, and he didn’t want to be alone in a strange new place. “Where should we go first?” He asked with a bright, gap-toothed grin. There was so much to explore, he wasn’t sure where to turn first.

Raph shrugged. "Wherever the path takes us!" He lead Mikey off the dock and set out to explore.

Donnie kept his previous jittery excitement much more contained now that they were in public, his face partially covered by his hood. He kept his head down and stuck close to his brother while studying every building they passed, memorizing the path they took, analyzing the faces he saw. He was always perceptive but now he had an actual use for it, eager to avoid any shady people. He glanced across the way of the plaza. "Where should we go? The tavern?"

Leo hummed, glancing around. “Sure, best way to meet people, right?” He sped up slightly, weaving between people and making sure Donnie stayed close as he looked for the nearest tavern. It wasn’t hard to spot, the traffic in and around it was bustling and exciting even during the day. He bounced a little, his fingertips twitched and itched with excitement, the urge to  _ do _ something with them. He’d always had busy hands, he mused as they made their way inside. He needed to be occupied, whether mentally or physically, he couldn’t just  _ not  _ be doing something.

Donnie looked around at the people there. It wasn't crowded, but there were plenty of interesting looking groups. He fought the urge to pickpocket the man they passed on their way up to the bar. A couple of people gave them strange looks before turning away, not surprising to see teens in a place like this. The bartender looked to be the least intimidating person there, sporting a more cheerful expression.

Leo slid onto the barstool and slouched against the counter, casting a glance around at the locals as well. People seemed alright, not particularly uncomfortable with strangers, which was likely common considering how busy the city was. Leo held up two fingers, and the bartender set the glasses down in front of them after a few moments. Sure, they didn't have much money left, but that was why they were in the city in the first place—a fresh start, and that included work. Leo already had a feeling he knew exactly what job he and Donnie would be taking up during their free time, outside of being pirates, of course. Raph and Mikey didn’t like it, but Leo had long since stopped feeling any sort of moral issue with it. Their main source of work revolved around a lot of bad people, which eased any fluctuations in his conscious .

Donnie sipped his drink quietly, adjusting the strap of his bag to ensure it stayed close in his lap. He turned to Leo and spoke quietly, "so... lots of people, some of them look wealthy." He planned on trying his hand at fishing from someone's pocket the first chance he'd get, having spent the past few weeks at sea. The last time he pickpocketed didn't end very well, but that was a minor mistake. He had confidence in himself here, eager to look into any well-known groups or families around here. They always had the best mercenary work.

“Yeah,” Leo kept his voice low. He was a good pickpocket too, had to be growing up on the streets, but he found he was better at robbing actual establishments or homes—especially with his odachi. “Go for it, but don’t get yourself into trouble. I’ll trust you with that, I’ll look for posts,” he said, referring to homes or businesses. Sure, they didn’t exactly have the best moral compasses, but honestly, who did these days?

The bartender slid by to wipe down the counter, not many others sitting near. He looked them up and down before starting a conversation. "You boys seem new around here. What're you doing in a place like this?" It was hard to tell from his tone what he could've meant by that, but judging by his voice it was clear he'd been here a while, if he hadn't grown up here. Donnie avoided eye contact and put his head back down to his drink. He knew Leo would do the talking.

Leo put on his favourite charming smile, one that screamed of innocence and excitement. “Our brothers and we moved up here for work. Fresh start, you know? More opportunities, we came from a small town, so most jobs were already taken.” The bartender cast a brief glance at Donnie, before seeming to understand he wasn’t going to say anything and turned back to Leo.

“Work, you say?” His tone was light, but there was something heavier underneath it—something more interesting. Leo fought the urge to raise an eyebrow, and leaned back a little in his seat. What was this man going to bring to the table? Was Leo overthinking things? It was possible he would just offer a bartending job, but something in his eyes told Leo otherwise.

Donnie perked up at the inquiry. It must’ve been the reaction he was looking for, because the man continued talking, his voice a bit lower now. “I heard ol’ Draxum is looking out for people to hire for a deal he’s working on. You lads seem like the type he’d be interested in.” He grinned, leaving the vagueness of the statement up for questioning.

Donnie briefly thought it over, feeling a bit cautious. If this Draxum fella had his name so well known, it probably meant he was wealthy, which already seemed suspicious. Wealthy people have no need for mercenary work, at least not from people like him and his brothers. Still, it was a lead, and it helped to know such things in a new place like this.

Leo wondered if Donnie was thinking the same things. He glanced at his brother, then back to the bartender. It was a little fishy to offer something to two newcomers like that out of the blue, but then again, maybe he figured he would send two randoms out to do the work in case they didn’t come back. Either way, it was something to think about. “Thank you, we’ll have to take a look.” He took a swig from his glass to signify the end of the conversation, and the bartender leaned back, swiping the rag off his shoulders.

“Aye,” he said. “Good luck, work around here ain’t too hard to find if you know where to look.” He tapped at his temple, and gave an odd sort of pursed smile. Leo finished his drink and dug around for change in his pocket to pay for them. They could talk more about the offer away from prying ears. It wouldn’t do them good to openly discuss their willingness to kill for money in a crowded tavern, let alone in front of its keeper who had offered him work. If they were too obvious they were unlikely to be hired, even if it was correct. Assassination was all about subtlety.

Donnie took a final swig from his glass before sliding out of his seat, studying the bartender's face their entire conversation. He dipped his head back down and walked alongside his brother as they left the tavern. Outside, they trailed into an alley. "Well, that seemed rather convenient... do you think he knew that we're pirates?" He hoped in the back of his mind that their shady front wasn't a dead giveaway to the things they got up to. Then again, they were still kids, and it was easier to fool people as a kid. He hoped the people around here weren't too perceptive of that.

Leo didn’t answer for a moment, instead, he mulled the conversation over in his head. On one hand, it was a distinct possibility, on the other hand, it was also possible he was just trying to be helpful. “I think,” he gathered his words, licking his lips. “I think we should be more careful. If he’s some kind of feeler then he probably has a good sense for people like us, but we still need to be cautious.” It was likely he was some sort of recruiter for the “Draxum” he mentioned. Leo wondered who he was, and if they needed to worry.

Donnie nodded in agreement. "Should we follow up on this guy then? Not sure where we'd find him, might have to ask around..." He internally winced at the idea of having to go out of his way to talk to people. He was not a social person, especially in a foreign place, but they didn't currently have other options. "Or..." He remembered their brothers, "should we mention this to the others?"

“We might as well check things out,” Leo took note of Donnie’s discomfort. “I’ll ask around and get the information to you. You can figure out the likelihood of us finding him in which places. We’ll figure out what the job is before we tell Raph and Mikey. They might not want in, depending on what it is, they seem pretty happy with piracy.” Neither of them were really cut out to be sell-swords, and Leo didn’t blame them. It was gruesome work.

"Alright... sounds good." He peered at the crowd down the walkway. "Meet back here in an hour. Don't get into trouble." He gave Leo a look, conveying a wordless message: don't be reckless. He pulled his strap further up on his shoulder and turned to make his way down through the next few alleyways.

"Hey, that applies to you too!" Leo called after his brother, feeling slightly petulant as he turned and headed back into the tavern, throwing on his best friendly smile. He had a lot of people to talk to, and not a lot of time to do it. He would have to pull out all of his charms if he wanted the information he was looking for.

Donnie had stuck to paths behind and between buildings, preferring to stay out of crowds as much as he could. He knew it probably looked shady, but there were also plenty of other shady people around here as well. He took note of every house he passed that seemed wealthy, darting his eyes around to spot anywhere that could potentially be an estate of this guy they were following up on.

The boy had slowed his pace when he noticed some guys leaning against the front of a shop, their backs turned to him and a satchel hanging loosely from the man's belt. He grinned, acknowledging the opportunity. An easy snatch, he'd just have to stick to the shadows. He took and deep breath and snuck forward.

  
  


Leo cursed swiping blood away from his mouth as he stepped back into the alley where Donnie was meant to meet him. He was alone, not unusual considering he was a few minutes early. Leo sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, rubbing at his bruised and swollen cheek. Assholes, to go that far against a kid asking questions... Leo was sort of used to the treatment from strangers who thought there was something wrong with him, or that he was contagious, but the words still hurt. He'd never actually been called a monster before…

_ And nothing like  _ that  _ has ever happened before,  _ his brain reminded him, and he shook his head to clear it. No, that had to have been some kind of hallucination or something, there was no way that had  _ actually  _ happened, right? No, he’d been a little roughed up. He couldn’t… that was all, there was no way anything worse had happened. He was just… his brain was being dumb, it was the shock of what had happened.

Donnie had just finished running when he tripped over his feet, stumbling as he sped into the alleyway and slowed to a stop while breathing heavily. He didn’t expect the guy he snatched that satchel from to have such good peripheral vision, nor did he expect him to have such a strong punch. He didn’t enjoy the long chase that ensued, or inevitably being cornered and not even getting away with his prize. He wiped his nose and removed the glasses from his bruised eye to fix whatever he presumed was broken.

"Well," Leo drawled, taking in his brother's disheveled and injured state. He looked like he’d been running the whole time he was gone. "What was it you said, don't get into trouble? Your eye says you got into trouble." He pushed himself off the wall and approached, peering at the injuries carefully. They appeared pretty superficial, but he wasn't exactly a doctor or anything. Leo knew about simple wounds and breaks, though, which meant he knew Donnie would have a shiner for the next little bit.

“Yeah, well,” he groaned in sudden annoyance when he realized the handle of his glasses probably needed to be tightened but returned them to his face anyway, “you don’t seem to have stayed out of trouble either.” He didn’t give Leo a moment to react before stepping forward and gripping him by the chin, checking the bruise on his cheek. He made a mental note to clean him up later once the sun went down.

Leo went deathly still at the sudden movement, and then the hands on his face. His breath caught in his chest like a bird in a cage until the moment Donnie let him go. His shoulders untensed slowly. All he could think of were the men standing over him, calling him a monster. The pain returned to him full force. "I-I think I know where to find Draxum," his voice wavered slightly, but he hoped it was still steady enough that his twin didn't notice. He wasn’t… it didn’t… it was okay, there was no way any of that had actually happened.

Donnie raised an eyebrow, feeling the tension. He obviously had to ask. “You okay? What happened in there?” He felt bad that he hadn’t really gathered much information aside from a mental map of the area he’d explored. He probably shouldn’t have taken up so much time getting chased.

"Nothing," Leo shrugged, "just some assholes got a little too drunk and didn't like some kid poking around. You?" Perhaps it should have made him feel worse, lying to his brother, but he wasn't  _ entirely  _ lying. He wasn't about to tell the full story, though, there was no reason for Donnie to know. He was fine, it was nothing compared to some of the other things he'd been through. Something was wrong with his memories, he knew there was no way that had actually happened.

Donnie narrowed his eyes. He knew there was more to the story, but he also knew how stubborn his brother could be, so he left it at that for now. “Not important. I did get a good idea of the area though, so what’s your lead?” He didn’t feel like willingly throwing out his pride by admitting his now second failed attempt at pickpocketing.

Leo nodded, "I heard that he's not really around much, but that some friends of his happen to like spending time at a brothel not too far from here. All we gotta do is find them and figure out what this job is." It sounded simple, of course, but Leo knew it wouldn't just be that easy. Not to mention the thought of entering some shady whorehouse made his stomach turn.

Donnie’s expression shifted. “A.... brothel?” He visibly cringed. “Great, should be easy for a couple of  _ teenagers _ ...” He adjusted his messed up glasses. “Luckily I might know where to find it. Hopefully, this doesn’t go sideways.” He knew that was a huge possibility considering what they were dealing with, but they were already looking so far into this. What would be the point in backing down now?

Leo frowned, but said nothing. Sure, they were teenagers, but they were also very good at getting into places they weren't meant to. While teenagers weren’t exactly banned from them, it wasn’t considered common to let fifteen-year-olds into them. "We can scope it out and look for sneaky ways in first, then if that doesn't work, bribery is a strong tool." Still, there was no guaranteeing things wouldn't go sideways. In fact, considering it was Leo and Donnie on the mission—the proclaimed disaster twins—things were almost destined to go wrong. He took a deep breath, and tried to let it out slow, hoping to temper the racing twinge of his heart.

Donnie seemed content with that. “Okay... we better head there now then, before the sun goes down.” He peeked around the corner, knowing the guys who were chasing him earlier were probably gone but still feeling the need to make sure it was clear. Not spotting them, he let out a subtle sigh of relief. “Come on, it’s a few buildings down.” He pulled his hood back over his head and stepped out onto the walkway.

Leo copied Donnie, very eager to throw up his hood and never take it off after what had happened earlier. He reached up absently to run a hand along his bruised face, where he knew that the skin paled in an odd marking over each of his eyes. They were the only ones on his face, with the others scattered around his body. He winced at the sharp pain, and brought his hands back down to his sides. He followed Donnie, keeping a wary eye out for the shadows of hulking forms stalking them. He shivered, and it had nothing to do with the breeze building as the evening began to roll in, casting long shadows over cobbled streets.

The brothel was quite close, and Leo rounded the outside of it, searching for ways in. There were windows, of course, the only trouble was finding an empty room and reaching it. He glanced over at Donnie, scanning his expression for that familiar flicker he'd known since they were kids, the one that meant he had an idea. When he didn't find it, he turned back to the windows above. With Donnie's brace, he would have to be the one to check from window to window so his brother didn't strain himself—not that he would ever admit that. Donnie was just as strong as the rest of them, but that didn't mean he could do everything they could with no issues. He had his own skills in other regards that far made up for anything else. "I've been itching for a good stretch, I'll take the top floor."

The only way up there would be to press his back against the nearby wall and use it to climb up, there were very few footholds, and none in other places where he would need them were another building not so close. Leo cracked his knuckles and leapt up, slamming his back into the wall, and using the pressure to keep him aloft as he scooted to the first window to peer inside, not even giving his brother time to argue.

Below him, Donnie scrambled to stand below him, ready to catch him if he fell. Not that he’d be able to actually catch him from up there, but at least break the fall. He felt silently annoyed that Leo hadn’t run this idea by him first, then again he knew he wouldn’t have been able to do it himself. His back was unfortunately quite sensitive, hence the brace he’d made himself to help him sit up straight.

The room itself was empty, the bed against the wall had clean sheets meaning there hadn’t been anyone in there for a while. There wasn’t much noise coming from the building, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume there weren’t too many people in the place.

Leo hummed, and slid up and through the window, rolling to break the short fall and minimize noise. His body lit up with pain from earlier, and he bit down on his bottom lip until the taste of metal filled his mouth. Okay,  _ ow _ , so no acrobatics or fancy maneuvers, even walking hurt like hell, but it was a more manageable pain. Years of practice meant he’d been able to ignore it, but with what felt like every nerve in his body on  _ fire  _ that was no longer an option.

Leo normally would have just hung upside down from the window and helped Donnie up, but he honestly didn't think he could manage it right now. Instead, he pulled down some cheap curtains, and tossed the end of it down. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair," he whispered over the edge with a faint smirk, referring to an old Germanic tale Donnie had read him as a kid. He missed the days when Donnie would read aloud for him, when they would sit curled up by candlelight with a book that Leo dared not look at for fear of making everything flip and turn and spin. 

Losing himself in the thoughts and humour helped him to drown out the moans and other graphic sounds that left his ears ringing and his vision fuzzy with his discomfort. He did not want to hear any of it, didn't want to be  _ near _ it, especially then of all times.

Donnie backed up a bit, running a mere moment to build up a jump and reach the curtains with a tight grip. He yelped when they almost slipped out from between his fingers and he bit his tongue in response. It didn’t take him long to drag himself to the window with Leo pulling him up. He stretched to grab the corner of the window and fell inside with a thump on the floor.

"Maybe," Leo gritted his teeth, his eyes were clenched shut against the pain, and he would be lying if he said there weren't tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. "We probably should have waited a bit." He could feel the blood staining his clothing, and thanked God that the darker fabric would hide it. His hands were shaking. "Are you okay?" he managed, reaching up to wipe blood from his lips.

Donnie sat himself up, his face morphing immediately into one of concern when he saw Leo. “Me? Are  _ you _ okay? You look like you just got punched in the gut.” His words might’ve seemed hard, but it conveyed an obvious message of worry that his brothers could always tell just from his tone. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a handkerchief for the blood he was wiping away.

"Fine," he lied, forcing himself to his feet. His legs were trembling, and he could feel the bruises covering them spark with pain. "I'm fine, how do we find these guys? I don't really know what they look like, and they might be... busy."

Donnie frowned. He didn’t like that Leo was probably hurt, but they also really didn’t have the time to get off course right now. He blanked at the question. “Uh... I suppose just... ask around? If they’re here frequently we might run into them.” He stood up, glancing around the empty room. “Could start by checking the halls, or the main room downstairs.”

"If there's visible tits downstairs," Leo warned with a slight smirk, trying to shove through his injuries with humour, his famous coping method, "I'm covering your poor virgin eyes." He wasn't lying either, poor Donnie would probably feel far too awkward with any sort of nudity.

Donnie frowned, trying to hide the small strike of embarrassment. “Well, we have to check  _ somewhere _ .” He didn’t wait, he walked passed him and opened the door to the hallway, squinting as he peered around.

Leo nodded and made his way into the hallway as well, fingering one of his favoured smoke bombs strapped loosely to his belt. He would use it and get Donnie out if things went South. He probably wasn't up to running, but it was possible that he would have to be.

From the corner of his eye, Donnie was able to spot someone walking down the stairs to a few other people. He nudged Leo, “could that be one of them?” The man had black hair pushed behind his ears and an outfit similar to theirs, cloaked with a belt of various small pockets. One might’ve assumed just by looking at him that he was a pirate.

Leo shrugged, "Only one way to find out, right?" He approached the dude, hoping his movements and smile seemed easier than they felt. "Hello there, you wouldn't happen to know a Charlie or a James around here, would you?"

The man scanned them with appraising eyes for a moment, before grunting. "Who's asking?" Leo wondered if mentioning the bartender was a good idea, before deciding they had nothing to go off of if he didn't. Not to mention the possibility of him being a recruiter was high.

"Just two guys looking for work, a bartender up the street mentioned that you might have a job for us, we were interested in hearing about it."

He glanced at Donnie, who was silent studying him with the same mindful intentions. The guy seemed to let his guard down a little bit more, stepping back up from the stairwell. “I’m James. My bud Charlie’s downstairs.” His voice was stern and deep, but it held a bit more comfortability than other folks they’d run into. It almost reminded Donnie of the bartender. “I’m assuming you... kids, are looking for what Draxum’s offering?”

Leo shrugged, "honestly? Not sure what he's offering, but we're mighty curious. We might be young, but I promise we'll surprise you," he played with one of his smoke bombs to draw attention, and watched James' eyes narrow on it curiously.

"I see," he almost smiled at them, and gestured for the twins to follow as he made his way down. "Come with me, then, we'll have a little chat about what you guys will be doing, and how much you can get in return for it." It lightened up as they stepped downstairs, and the shadows that Leo assumed was to set some kind of mood faded and sunk back into the walls.

Donnie had kept his chin down most of the conversation, but as soon as he stepped downstairs he had to fight hard to not get too expressive. His face reddened seeing all the people, most half-clothed, preoccupied with the women they were there with. He shot his eyes back to the floor and shuffled alongside his brother, glad that at least no one else was noticing them.

James continued ahead of them, presumably heading for the open door to a side room where they assumed Charlie would be.

Leo tried to tunnel his vision and focus on nothing but the door in front of him, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with anything except this new job.

James led them into the room and gestured for them to sit down at a desk while he went over to mutter with Charlie. He had a girl on his lap, but they clearly hadn’t gotten much farther than kissing. Leo fixed his eyes under the floor, and reached out under the desk for Donnie’s arm. His own hands were trembling, but Donnie would probably write it off as pain instead of discomfort and his nerves.

Donnie felt his brother’s uneasiness through the touch and slid his hand up to hold his. He kept his eyes straight ahead on the two men.

Jamie’s leaned on the desk next to his friend, Charlie’s attention finally turning to the two boys sitting in front of him. He quirked an eyebrow up in slight confusion but didn’t comment. “So, you two know what you’re getting into?” His voice was nothing like James’s, it was thick with the Italian accent most others around here had. He didn’t give off any signs of friendliness, his tone straight to the point. “Our boss is sealing the deal on some land south of here. Thing is, he’s got a competitor.”

James had taken this time to pull out one of the desk drawers, removing a single neat portrait of a woman with smooth white hair and a sharp chin, and sliding it across to them. “This lass, runs a south-eastern trading company.”

Leo pursed her lips, trying to commit the art to memory. “I imagine security would be tight,” he cast them a meaningful glance, they would need to be paid handsomely for their services with a high risk like that. “What are we looking at here?” He asked, leaning forward a little.

“That depends on you,” James crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing the two teens.

“Our boss is offering two hundred gold pieces to get her out of the picture,” Charlie elaborated, then his eyes flashed. “However, he’ll double it if you can get some specific documents for him.” Leo’s eyes narrowed, intrigued.

Donnie listened intently, studying the photo while they discussed. The woman looked obviously wealthy, jewelry crowded her neck with her hair well put up, and her face plastered a pretentious expression.

James picked back up, “she’s got ownership papers for the land ready to be signed. If you get those, Draxum will be able to seal the deal with no problem.”

Leo nodded and leaned back. The money was damn good, especially if they got the documents. He thought for a moment, before figuring a little more information couldn’t hurt before they made a decision. “Where can we find her?” He asked, “and what’s the catch?”

“No catch,” Charlie assured. “You can find her in her company office, the only thing you’ll need to worry about his security. Think you can handle that?” He eyed them up and down, probably taking in their injured and youthful states. Leo gripped Donnie’s hand a little tighter and straightened.

“Certainly. We’ll discuss your offer, if we accept she’ll be dead within the week.” Leo said firmly, hating to let go as he stood up, forcing himself y’all despite the pain. He and Donnie needed to discuss it first, but he had a feeling the job would be... interesting if they accepted.

The two men nodded, prompting Donnie to tug Leo out of the room and stood in the corner outside. He tugged the side of his hood to rid himself of his peripheral vision. “This seems like a lot, even for us. This lady is definitely rich.” He had no doubt that whoever this was, she would not cut expenses on protection for herself, especially if people like Draxum wanted her dead.

Then again, that gold did seem promising. “You think we’d be able to handle this ourselves?” He nearly bit his tongue for questioning his faith in the two of them. Their confidence had gotten them this far and it probably didn’t help to start second-guessing now.

Leo glanced over at the nearest wall, fixing his gaze on it while he thought. Raph and Mikey weren’t into any kind of mercenary work anymore, Mikey didn’t like killing and Raph thought it was too dangerous—Leo and Donnie were the only ones still really open to it, though he knew they would help if asked. Still, he didn’t want to have to ask his brothers to help, he knew they could handle it on their own. “I  _ know _ we can do it,” Leo said eventually, “but we’re right to be cautious. I think we should make sure we plan every aspect of this, we’d need to do some heavy surveillance for a few days. Do you think you’re up to it?” His fingers itched to touch the swollen side of his twin’s face to check how bad it was—considering he couldn’t see much in the fun light—but he clenched his fist to stop then.

Donnie looked skeptical. He was right about planning, and he trusted him. He nodded his agreement and walked with him back to the room.

Charlie put out his cigar, the smoke still being exhaled whilst he glanced back up at the twins. James was leaning on the desk with his arms crossed when he spoke. He seemed to be the patient one of the two of them. “So, what’s the verdict?”

“We’ll take the job, you can expect it done before the end of the week, but we’ll need to do some surveillance,” Leo said, surprised at how steady his tone had become. “We’ll come for our payment after the job with proof and the papers, then we expect payment.”

The two glanced at each other and nodded, “Sounds reasonable,” it was once more James who spoke, his tone even, certainly friendlier. “You’ll get your money, Draxum never goes back on his word—bad for business.” Leo could understand that, word of mouth spread like a wildfire.

“Excellent, then we’ll be going now, if you don’t mind?” Leo asked, suddenly eager to escape the confined and unfamiliar building.

James smiled now, “sure thing kids, and this time, feel free to use the door. You don’t need to sneak around when you’re doing work for us.” Leo nodded, a little amused himself.

Donnie took that like an eager invitation, slipping past and nearly speeding to the exit. He took a nice breath of fresh air once they were out. He felt uneasy there, not ever quick to trust anyone, and the subject of the place along with the number of people in there didn’t help. He turned back to Leo when he had come out behind him.

“So, I’m going to assume the southeastern trading company isn’t close by. We’ll probably need a map, or ask around to see how far from here it is.” He didn’t doubt that it wouldn’t be too hard to find, if this lady was as wealthy as he thought then she was probably well known.

“Yeah, but it’s starting to get late,” he glanced up at the sky, which was a deep navy as the night began to set in. “We should head back to the ships, get a good night’s sleep, and make sure Raph doesn’t worry, then in the morning we can set out again.” He couldn’t wait to get started, but he doubted he could walk around much longer, and he could feel dried and crusted blood clinging to his skin beneath his clothing.

Donnie rubbed at his nose. It was still sore, and he did need to fix his glasses before doing anything else. “Alright, let’s get back then.” He started their walk towards the docks.


End file.
